Tag: badger

There are a lot of saints we probably haven't heard of. We're familiar with the popular ones, like Saint Patrick, Patron Saint of People Getting Drunk in His Honor, and Saint Francis of Assisi, known for his strong affection for animals. We know some of the more obscure ones, like Saint Guinefort: We're not sure about Saint Tiggywinkles, but we are in awe of his works.
Tiggywinkles is the world's leading wildlife hospital. It was founded in 1978 by Les and Sue Stocker, along with their son Colin. Until 1983 the Stockers funded their work from their savings. Then in February of that year the project became a Registered Charity with the official title of The Wildlife Hospital Trust.
They've helped a variety of species, including badgers, owls, swan, and deer. During the drought of 1984, they began to see more hedgehogs, and worked to raise awareness of their plight, asking people to leave out water and dog food for them. Many people started looking more closely at their local hedgehogs, and so many were brought in for treatment for injuries that the hospital opened a new shed as a Hedgehog-Only unit, and called it "St. Tiggywinkles."
The hospital continues to look after all species of wildlife that are brought in, rehabilitating and releasing into the wild if possible, or keeping the animals in as natural an environment as possible at the hospital. Euthanasia is a last resort.
While the hospital doesn't turn any wild animal away, avian
prey, or predator

Hedgehogs are still among the favorites.

Some of the animals are up for adoption. If you're looking for a weasel, stoat, or polecat
or perhaps a buzzard or a badger
Or a hedgehog
St. Tiggywinkles is the patron saint of baby wild animals.

Despite having been illegal for over 170 years, badger baiting continues to be practiced throughout Britain and Ireland, not unlike cockfighting and dogfighting in the U.S. The badger is a protected species in the UK.
Normally docile creatures, when they perceive a threat or are cornered, the badger, which can grow to 35 pounds, is a fierce fighter. It's dangerous bite and powerful claws leave it more than capable of defending itself.
Badger baiting is a fight between a dog and a badger. The badger is usually put in a tunnel dug for the purpose, and a dog is introduced into the tunnel entrance. The waiting badger usually seizes te dog immediately, and the dog tries to grip the badger. They bite and tear and pull at each other in a frenzy. Frequently the dog is pulled out by its tail, separated from the badger, and the whole process repeated until the dog or badger is spent.
Injuries to the jaw and snout are common.
Some dogs have even had their lower jaw ripped off.
Due to the illegality of badger baiting, most of the dog owners refuse to take their dog to a veterinarian for proper treatment. The dog is either treated by the owner, killed, or abandoned and left to die.
One cruel owner even tried using a household stapler to close the wounds on his dog Comet.
When it didn't work, the dog was abandoned, where she was found by dog walkers that took her to the vet.
Delilah the terrier was close to death when she was found with burnt skin peeling off her face and vicious bite marks to her body.
She was unconscious and suffering from hypothermia. If she had been brought in by her owner, she probably would have been euthanized right away.
The veterinarians were horrified by her injuries and determined to save the 18-month-old Patterdale Terrier.
Veterinary nurse Julie Fox, 33, who helped to treat her at Spa Vets in Gloucester, said, "I've been a nurse for 15 years but I've never been as horrified as when I first saw Delilah. Her face was peeling off and there was blood everywhere, if she was brought in with her owners we would have administered euthanasia straight away."
Delilah's brutal wounds are thought to be from badger baiting. In the illegal sport fires are started at all but one of the exit holes of the badger hole and dogs are sent down to chase them out.
The Vets wrapped her in foil blankets, surrounded her in heat pads and gave her dinner: Within hours she had regained consciousness and sat up.
They performed a life-changing operation on Delilah to give her new eyelids - the complex procedure left her with 80 stitches and she was hospitalized for 48 hours.
So far Delilah has made an astonishing recovery. The vets are confident that her progress will continue. Meanwhile, she has gone home with the nurse, Julie Fox.
"Since I've had her at home she's made a remarkable recovery," said Ms. Fox. "She's full of life, she follows me everywhere and loves playing with my other dogs."

An unfortunate badger didn't achieve his goals when he became tangled in a net for the weekend.
A caretaker at Henley-in-Arden High School, Warwickshire, England spotted the young male badger thrashing around in a goal on the soccer field. The RSPCA transferred him to Vale Wildlife Hospital in Tewkesbury, Gloucester, where he was anesthetized, allowing vets to remove the netting trapping his legs.
After being washed and polished, the gentle badger is ready for rehabilitation back to a natural setting.